Zamboni delivers its 10,000th production ice resurfacing machine

On Wednesday, Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. delivered its 10,000th production machine since it was founded more than 60 years ago.

For six decades, the Zamboni Company has built its famous ice resurfacing machines by hand, one at a time in Paramount, and for the past three decades in its Brantford, Ontario, plant in Canada. To commemorate the production of the 10,000th machine, time-lapse cameras were used to record its assembly and the footage will be posted on the Zamboni Company's website, zamboni.com.

The machine, an electric Zamboni Model 552, was delivered to the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens.

One of the NHL's Original Six teams, the Montreal Canadiens was the first of the NHL's Canadian teams to receive a Zamboni ice resurfacing machine, which was delivered in November 1954.

"I know that my grandfather would feel a great sense of accomplishment in reaching this production milestone," Frank Zamboni, Zamboni's executive vice president, who also runs the factory/operation in Brantford, said by e-mail. "He built the first machine to maintain his rink in Paramount ... and as the business grew, so did his commitment to continually improve upon his original invention. It's a significant achievement for our company and we're looking forward to its delivery to the Montreal Canadiens."

Frank Zamboni introduced the world's first electric-powered ice resurfacer during the Squaw Valley Winter Olympic Games in California in 1960.

Since that time, the company has manufactured more than 10,000 electric resurfacers for use in arenas all over the world.